Artificial flower of fuzzy ball shaped construction

ABSTRACT

THE DISCLOSURE IS OF AN ORNAMENTAL FLOWER CONSTRUCTED OF SEVERAL PRE-CUT FABRIC MATS BONDED TO A FOAM PLASTIC CYLINDRICAL CORE TO FORM A UNIFORMLY ROUND, FUZZY FLOWER. A WIRE STEM EXTENDS THROUGH THE CORE AND HOOKS BACK INTO THE CORE AT THE TOP FOR ATTACHMENT.

J'uiy 13, 1971 R. A. HARRIS 3 ARTIFICIAL FLOWER OF FUZZY BALL SHAPED CONSTRUCTION Filed April 28, 1969 Aiwmwi fig. 4

INVENTOR. Roger A Harris Attorneys United States Patent Wis.

Filed Apr. 28, 1969, Ser. No. 819,792 Int. Cl. A41g 1/00 U.S. Cl. 161-30 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The disclosure is of an ornamental flower constructed of several pre-cut fabric mats bonded to a foam plastic cylindrical core to form a uniformly round, fuzzy flower. A wire stem extends through the core and hooks back into the core at the top for attachment.

This invention relates to artificial, ornamental flowers and more particularly to artificial flowers made from fuzzy fabric materials.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Various types of artificial flowers are known and in wide use. Most artificial flowers imitate the appearance of petals, stems and leaves with formed pieces, or cut fabric members. These require artistic ability for design and construction and further require dexterity and a degree of skill to assemble. For these reasons, previous artificial flower constructions have not been amenable to mass prefabrication of parts for distribution in kits from which the consumer can assemble his own ornamental display.

-Fuzzy fabrics can be pre-cut and assembled to form flower-like balls on stems. Such a construction has a pleasing flower-like appearance, yet does not involve the difficult manufacturing of parts which imitate separate petals and leaves. However, these fuzzy ball flowers still require dexterity of hand and a degree of skill for assembling if any quality of appearance is desired. Uniformity of construction and assembly of the separate precut fabric pieces is particularly important for a continuous surface on the ball. 'Prior artificial flowers of this type have been lacking in these respects and still are not amenable to mass production of parts and sale in kit form.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention solves the aforementioned difficulties and has further advantages which will be apparent from the drawings and description.

In assembly, an artificial flower of the invention has an inner core having a cylindrical configuration, and constructed of foam plastic material. Several pre-cut fabric mats having thick pile are provided. One is pre-cut of a length and width to fit about the cylindrical wall of the core, with the fabric providing the outside surface. Another is pre-cut to fit on a top surface of the core, and in a preferred embodiment has a portion of the mat extending beyond the dimensions of the cylindrical wall. This construction assures a uniform, continuous appearance even when assembled by unskilled hands.

A wire stem is inserted from the bottom through to the top of the core and hooks back around into the top of the core for easy attachment.

Thus, the invention provides an artificial flower which may be prefabricated and distributed in kit form for easy assembly by the consumer. Yet, persons such as old people not having dexterity of hand, can assemble flowers having as high quality as those made by more skilled people.

The figures illustrate the best example of the invention which is presently contemplated by the inventor.

3,592,716 Patented July 13, 1971 In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the assembled flower;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the flower in partial assembly;

FIG. 3 is a top view of a partially assembled flower with a part removed to show the core;

SIG. 4 is a side view of one of the pre-cut fabric mats; an

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of another of the pre-cut fabric mats.

DESCRIPTION Shown in the drawing is an artificial flower 1 having a wool ball 2 representing the petals and other parts of a flower. Ball 2 is attached to a wire stem 3, which has artifiical leaves 4 attached thereto. Stem 3 has plastic strips 5 wrapped around it to imitate the texture of plant stems and flower ovaries. Artificial leaves 4 may be secured to the stem 3 by winding the strips 5 over corre sponding stems of the leaves.

In accordance with the invention, wool ball 2 is constructed of an inner core 6 and several pre-cut fabric mats, including a side mat 7 and a top mat 8. When assembled, these components provide a continuous and pleasing, round, fuzzy appearance for ball 2.

Core 6 is a solid, cylindrical piece of foam plastic such as polystyrene. It has a cylindrical side surface 9, a circular and fiat top surface 10 and a bottom surface 11 which are support surfaces for mats 7 and 8. Top surface 10 is of a predetermined diameter such as one inch, the same as the diameter of the cylinder portion 9.

Wire stem 3 extends through core 6 from bottom to top and has hook end 12 disposed at the top surface 10. Hook end 12 accomplishes a generally degree reverse in direction relative to stem 3, and is reinserted downwardly through top surface 10 into core 6 for a secure attachment. To assemble the core and stem, the wire may be simply forced through core 6, and hook end 12 may then be shaped and finally forced into top surface 10.

The pleasing and continuous outer appearance of the flower is provided by flexible fabric mats 7 and 8. These are pre-cut from fabric pieces such as wool rug material having thin mat backing 13 of a synthetic rubber or plastic material. Bonded to one surface of backing 13 is a fuzzy wool pile material 14 of any desired color. Material 14 extends away from backing 13 to give substantial thickness to the mats. As an example, backing 13 could be inch and the pile 14 could then be in the range of 1 inch thick.

Side mat 7 is cut rectangularly to fit around core side surface 9 and has overlap portion 15 from which wool material 14 is stripped. As best seen in FIG. 2, side mat 7 extends around surface 9, covering the same with a small overlap where the two ends meet. Backing portion 13 of mat 7 is against surface 9 and is bonded thereto by any suitable glue.

Top mat 8 is a circular cut of appreciably larger diameter than top surface 10. As an example, top surface 10 and the cylinder portion being 1 inch in diameter in this instance, top mat 8 could be 1% inches in diameter to provide appreciable extension beyond core 6 in assembly. With backing 13 of mat 8 facing top surface 10, mat 8 is bonded to the top surface to generally be coaxial there with. However, the requirements for exact positioning are not strict and variation is permissible without impairing the generally uniform appearance of the flowers.

The bottom of the flower is formed by combing part of the fiber pile 14 of mat 7 downward around stem 3 and then wrapping strips over the fabric and stem. This covers bottom surface 11 and imitates the ovary of a flower.

When the various parts are assembled into wool ball 2, pile 14 will assume a continuous round ball appearance 3 if the fibers of top mat 8 are spread out and flufied to continuously merge with the fuzzy surface of side mat 7. The pile or fibrous material in the fabric should not be so springy as to resist spreading out in this manner, and the dimensions of top mat 8 permit the fuzzy fabric to be spread downwardly at the outer edges to meet and merge into the like surface of mat 7.

The method of assembly is simple. Core 6 and stem 3 are assembled as described. Then, pre-cut mat 7 may be fitted to side surface 9 and glued, mat 8 likewise may be attached to surface 10, and the fiber of mat 7 may be combed down along stem 3 to be wound over by strip 5. When this is done, the fuzzy fabric of mats 7 and 8 are spread out and a natural looking, round flower ball is produced.

In cooperation with core 6, the overlap portion 15 on side mat 7 and the larger diameter of particularly top mat 8 assure that unskilled persons can assemble uniform and high quality round flower balls. Thus, the invention provides a high quality articficial flower which may easily be assembled by unskilled persons.

The embodiment described is the best example presently contemplated of the various modes of the invention. The following claims distinctly set forth the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. An artificial flower comprising:

an inner core having a cylindrical side surface and a top surface;

a stem attached to said core;

a first flexible mat with a deep pile fabric attached fully around said side surface to cover the side surface; and

a second flexible mat with a deep pile fabric attached across said top surface to generally cover the top sur- 3 face and with said pile fabric spread out to merge with said pile fabric of said first mat.

2. The artificial flower defined by claim 1, wherein the core is a foam plastic, the stem is a wire member with an end having a reverse hook, the wire member being ex- 4 4 with a diameter corersponding to the diameter of said cylindrical side surface;

a stem attached to said core;

a flexible mat with a deep pile fabric attached around the side surface; and

a second flexible mat with a deep pile fabric attached coaxially with said top surface, said second mat being circular and flat and having a diameter appreci ably larger than the diameter of said top surface.

4. The artificial flower defined by claim 3, wherein the first fabric mat is a rectangular piece having a lengthwise dimension corresponding to the circumference of said cylindrical side surface and allowing an overlap in assembly around said side surface of the core.

5. The artificial flower defined by claim 4, wherein the fabric mats are each comprised of a thin, flexible backing to which the deep pile fabric is bonded on one side; the deep pile fabric extending beyond the backing a distance several times the thickness of the backing; and said fabric is spread out in assembly to provide a continuous and round fuzzy ball.

6. In an artificial flower, a fuzzy appearing ball imitating the upper portion of a flower, the ball comprising:

a solid cylindrical core having a cylindrical side surface and a top surface; and

a series of wool pile mats, said mats being pre-cut in accordance with the dimensions of the core, in assembly, a first mat fitting around the cylindrical side, a second mat fitting over the top surface, said mats covering and extending beyond their respective surfaces of the core, and the wool pile of the second mat being spread downward to merge continuously with the fuzzy pile of the first mat.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 363,058 5/1887 Friedlaender 161-28 1,657,744 1/1928 Durkee 161-9 1,858,148 5/1932 Freese 16l30 3,261,126 7/1966 Marks 16127 PHILIP DIER, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 16l53, 67, 159 

